Airbnb permanently bans ‘parties’ after restrictions on short-term rentals in Arizona

By Judy J. Beasley Last updated Jun 28, 2022

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — The world’s largest short-term rental service has instituted a permanent ban on parties and major events after initially issuing a temporary ban nearly two years ago.

“The temporary ban has proven effective, and today we officially codify the ban as our policy,” Airbnb said in a press release Tuesday. Since the ban was introduced, the company said it has seen a 44% year-on-year drop in the number of parties reported. In Arizona, the company saw a 55% year-over-year decline.

Valley-wide frustrations

Several towns in the Valley have raised concerns about short-term rentals after loud, dangerous and/or destructive parties often wreaked havoc in otherwise quiet suburban neighborhoods. In 2020, the company took the unusual step of preventing bookings under certain circumstances as Airbnb hosts and communities across the country complained of nuisance and violence.

Last year, Airbnb said its “anti-party” system and restrictions blocked 11,000 reservations in Arizona. And in February, Arizona’s Family reported that 70 listings in popular tourist destinations like Phoenix, Flagstaff, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale and Sedona had been removed.

New short-term rental laws in the Phoenix area

Earlier this year, new laws came into effect in the city of Scottsdale allowing police to issue citations to both tenant and landlords. This law requires landlords to provide an emergency contact to report within an hour of police arriving. Paradise Valley, which is adjacent to Scottsdale, also recently passed regulations requiring landlords and short-term rental hosts to conduct sex offender background checks, have someone physically check guests on the property and inform the city. In other cities, more and more HOAs are imposing restrictions on “vacation rentals.”

Airbnb implements “anti-party” measures

Because these types of parties tend to pop up during the holidays, the company is also relaunching its anti-party crackdown, expanding previously tightened rules to prevent overnight bookings for guests with no rental history. positive. This will limit two-night bookings for certain local or last-minute bookings by people who do not have a positive service history. Airbnb also says it’s the introduction of “anti-party certificates”, adding that those who break the rules could face legal action.

The company says other measures such as a 24-hour safety line, a neighborhood support line and an information-sharing partnership with competitor Vrbo to notify repeat offenders of “party houses” across the country also helped reduce the holidays are its listing properties. To learn more, click/tap here.

Jason Barry, Kim Powell, Monica Garcia, Morgan Loew and Maria Hechanova contributed to this report through previous coverage.